Red Cross Palm Beach Showhouse

With its wide variety of furnishings, wall treatments, and textures, the American Red Cross Designers’ Showhouse in West Palm Beach, Florida, sets the tone for the rest of the showhouse season. For this reason and many more, Traditional Home is proud to again be the event’s national sponsor. This year, we celebrate the showhouse’s 37th anniversary at a new venue with breathtaking intracoastal water views.

In 2012, 22 designers worked tirelessly to transform 18 spaces in a stunning Mediterranean-style home. The sunny setting and luscious scenery warmed up the cold winter months by inspiring the use of bright colors and fun patterns on pillows, windows, and floors.

The 2013 American Red Cross Designers’ Showhouse is located at 123 Santa Lucia Drive in West Palm Beach. It is open daily now through February 23. For more information, call 561/650-9133 or visit redcrossshowhouse.com.

Frank Maguire’s foyer invites guests to explore this gorgeous showhouse. Minor touch-ups to the existing wall mural with its whimsical images of plants and animals let the walls do the talking. Dark mahogany-colored carpet on the stairs contrasts the white woodwork, encouraging visitors to view the second floor.

A neutral palette provides the ideal foundation for an eclectic mix of furnishings and textures in William R. Eubanks’ and D. Mitchell Brown’s lavish living room. A custom sectional sofa divides the narrow room, giving it balance and definition. Stealing the show are rock crystal obelisks from Madagascar and a gilded metal-and-glass blossom chandelier.

Quince branches and Asian-inspired vases flank an antique Chinese console from the White Lotus Collection in Melissa Ziober and Noe Guerra’s peaceful powder room. To maintain the historical home’s integrity, the NXG Studio design team first restored the walls, moldings, and floor. “The space is traditional while still feeling modern and fresh,” Ziober says.

A grass-cloth wall covering by Kravet adds texture but doesn’t compete with the room’s soft teal and coral undertones. Above the sink, a circular mirror lures eyes upward, drawing attention to the arched wall and making the small space seem larger.

“When you sit down at a dining table, you should be transported to a special place,” says designer Joseph Pubillones. This space does just that. With pieces from different decades—including a folk art metal bombé chest, Louis XVI reproduction chairs, and a Murano chandelier dating from the 1960s—the dining room is reminiscent of another era.

Walls painted Pratt & Lambert gray accentuate intense orange accents like the Oriental patchwork rug. Side chairs are covered in the high-contrast “Key Maze” fabric from Beacon Hill, which strikes a more modern note.

The sleek lines of the furniture mingle with abundant texture in the grass cloth wall covering, retro rug, and faux-fur pillows for a one-of-a-kind effect. “We wanted to make a modern, graphic statement,” Cortes says.

Designer Melody Smith refreshed the kitchen while keeping it consistent with the age of the home. Antique furnishings like a Belgian butcher block that shows cuts from years of use offset the modern, white-on-white tile backsplash and brushed-nickel hardware.

White appliances, cabinetry, and countertops contrast with sunny yellow vinyl grass-cloth wall covering. “My challenge was to refresh the room while keeping it consistent with the age of the home,” Smith explains.

Chartreuse walls, shots of yellow, and graphic black-and-white carpet from Stark ensure that Allen Reyes’s library leaves a lasting impression. “I wanted guests to see how good design can make an ordinary room come to life,” Reyes says. A matching taffeta fabric conceals an elevator shaft.

Intriguing lanterns, terra-cotta pots overflowing with Cyperus papyrus, and jasmine climbing the walls soften the architecture of the home’s exterior. “We wanted the entrance to serve as an invitation to experience all the beautiful things the showhouse has to offer,” notes designer Jobe Lopez.

The portico, with its white steps, also plays host to aloes, kalanchoes, and Bougainvillea glabra plants. A variety of containers—we love the bright blue urns by Lauren & Co.—creates a memorable welcome.

The series of hanging lanterns—Wolf’s favorite design element—was inspired by the homeowner’s own pieces. “There were a few hanging from beams, but I thought the impact should be multiplied,” Wolf explains. “Thirty-two lanterns, numerous programmable outdoor ‘candles,’ and many bags of moss later, the desired effect was achieved.”

This luscious living wall is a twist on the typical backyard. Designed by landscape architect Daryl McCann, the unexpectedly vertical garden creates a stunning and decidedly modern effect. “It’s a different approach to what a garden is and where it’s supposed to go,” McCann explains.

Surrounded by palm trees and overlooking the pool, Jackie Armour’s sun deck is Palm Beach at its best. The spacious outdoor sofa with canopy by Lee Industries isn’t just inviting, it also offers protection from the Florida sun.

A game table from Wunderley sits below a large picture window, illuminating the gorgeous, intricately carved chairs.

Game table at end of room by window (“Inlaid Game table”): Wunderley, 720/850-9616, wunderley.com.Chairs at game table; accessories: Jennifer Garrigues Interior Design, 561/659-7085, jennifergarrigues.com.

The pair of vintage Saporiti chairs covered in silvery velvet with sequins in the sitting room are Fava’s favorite. The nickel-and-glass chandelier, acrylic cocktail table, and platinum settee stay true to the sophisticated theme.

A floral wall covering provides texture, while yards of salmon silk taffeta from Scalamandré decorate the windows. Pretty pink lamps perched on top of gilded end tables with crystal inserts and mirrored tops flank the low-profile bed.

This nursery doesn’t just foster imagination, it’s functional, too. “I designed the room to grow with a child from birth through the early teenage years, needing only minimal changes,” designer Mimi Masri explains.

Framed Good Housekeeping prints over the sofa, which doubles as a daybed, portray youthful moments that stimulate curiosity and exude innocence. Lighthearted accessories like the giraffe floor lamp add personality.

Katherine Shenaman used color and pattern to establish a unique palette for this bedroom. In the sitting area, a bright lavender wall covering is background for saffron-yellow leather wing chairs and a brass sunburst mirror.

Colorful John Robshaw bedding from Pioneer Linens motivated Shenaman to think outside the box when designing this bedroom. “The carved bed complemented the character and feel of the linens, each evoking something old-world and soulful,” she says. Her layered look overlaps two patterned area rugs atop wall-to-wall sea-grass floor covering, all from Stark Carpet. An iron bench offers seating with great outdoor views.